J Korean Pain Soc.  1996 Jun;9(1):83-88.

Alcohol Block in the Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Study to Assess its Efficacy

• Kim C
• Lee HK
• Yang SK
• Lee HJ
• Lee YC
• Kim SM

Abstract

This is a retrospective analysis of 158 patients who visted our Neuro-Pain clinic, April 1992 to March 1996, suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. Most patients received nerve blocks in its triggering peripheral branches of pain. All patients experienced pain relief for 3 months after initial successful nerve block. Twenty two patients complained of recurring pain within 4 to 32 months. Mean duration of pain relief was as follows. infraorbital nerve block 15.2 months, maxillary nerve block 16.8 months, and mandibular nerve block 23.4 months. Demographic and clinical characteristics of all patients were also evaluated. This study demonstrates that alcohol block is a safe and effective method of treating trigeminal neuralgia.

Keyword

Trigeminal neuralgia; Nerve block; Alcohol

MeSH Terms

Humans
Mandibular Nerve
Maxillary Nerve
Nerve Block
Retrospective Studies*
Trigeminal Neuralgia*